IX.] 
LAGOONS ON THE COAST. 
433 
again so surrounded by ice and fog, that, after several unsuccess¬ 
ful attempts to make an immediate advance,'we were compelled 
to lie-to at a large piece of drift-ice near the shore. When the 
fog had lightened so much that the vessel could be seen from 
the land, we were again visited' by a large number of natives, 
whom as before we entertained as best we could. They invited 
us by evident signs to land and visit their tents. As it was in 
any case impossible immediately to continue our voyage, I 
accepted the invitation, ordered a boat to be put out, and landed 
along with most of my comrades. 
The beach here is formed of a low bank of sand which runs 
between the sea and a small shallow lagoon or fresh-water lake, 
whose surface is nearly on a level with that of the sea. Farther 
into the interior the land rises gradually to bare hills, clear of 
snow or only covered with a^ thin coating of powdered snow 
from the fall of the last few days. Lagoon formations, with 
either fresh or salt water, of the same kind as those which we 
saw here for the first time, are distinctive of the north-eastern 
coast of Siberia. It is these formations which gave rise to the 
statement that on the north coast of Siberia it is difficult to 
settle the boundaries between sea and land. In winter this may 
be difficult enough, for the low bank which separates the lagoon 
from the sea is not easily distinguished when it has become 
covered with snow, and it may therefore readily happen in winter 
journeys along the coast that one is far into the land while he 
still believes himself to be out on the sea-ice. But when the 
snow has melted, the boundary is sharp enough, and the sea by 
no means shallow for such a distance as old accounts would 
indicate. A continual ice-mud-work also goes on here during 
the whole summer. Quite close to the beach accordingly the 
depth of water is two metres, and a kilometre farther out ten to 
eleven metres. Off the high rocky promontories the water is 
commonly navigable even for vessels of considerable draught 
close to the foot of the cliffs. 
F F 
